Regular cleaning and maintenance of firearms is important for both extending and maintaining the useful life of the firearm, but is also a safety consideration. Firing ammunition deposits material including powder and shot residue inside the bore of the barrel, which can lead to contamination and corrosion. Additionally, excessive deposits of material inside the bore can become a potential safety hazard. Therefore, frequent and effective cleaning of the firearms, particularly after use is essential.
Traditionally, cleaning the firearm bore requires using a long cleaning rod having a cloth, brush or another end piece called a jag attached to the end of the rod. Brushes are typically used initially in conjunction with a solvent to loosen powder and shot residue inside a barrel. Jags, typically with a cleaning cloth or patch and secured to the end of the rod are commonly used to further remove the loosened residue. The cleaning cloth is soaked with a cleaning solvent or fluid, and then the cleaning rod is repeatedly pushed and pulled through the barrel of the gun to clean the inside from debris and other buildup.
Two types of prior art jags are shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. With regard to the jag in FIG. 1, the cleaning cloth or patch must be folded and fitted within the slot. It requires time and some patience to correctly orient the patch with respect to the slot so as to insure that the patch communicates with the bore of the barrel with as much surface area as possible. However, even then, the folded and crumpled orientation of the patch limits the amount of surface area the patch is able to contact within the barrel, resulting in less effective cleaning. Once the patch has been utilized by running it through the bore several times, it will become dirty, messy and cumbersome to remove from the slot without dispersing cleaning solvent and debris.
FIG. 2 depicts another type of jag generally referred to as a “brass jag”. Using this jag requires securing strip of cloth or patch over the tip end of the jag and over the length of the brass jag to insure the patch contacts the bore of the barrel with as much surface area as possible. Once the patch has been utilized by running it through the bore several times, it too will become dirty and thus messy to remove, because the user must pull the used cloth from the brass jag. Dislodging the used cloth disperses messy debris throughout the work area.
A need exists for improved systems, apparatus and methods for effectively cleaning the bore of a firearm. Specifically, a need exists for an improved system, apparatus and method that provide a more effective, cleaner and economical manner for thoroughly cleaning the bore of a firearm.
A further need exists for providing a system, apparatus and method for cleaning the bore of a firearm that includes easy and secure attachment of the cleaning cloth to the present device.
A further need exists for providing a system, apparatus and method for cleaning the bore of a firearm that includes easy removal of the used cleaning cloth from the present device thereby avoiding dispersing solvent and debris into the surrounding area.
A further need exists for providing a system, apparatus and method for cleaning the bore of a firearm, wherein the whole of the cleaning cloth is used more effectively such that fewer passes are required through the barrel of the firearm for effective cleaning, resulting in less waste.
Further, a need exists for a system, apparatus and method for accommodating a variety of bore sizes for various types of firearms, from small caliber hand guns to military-style artillery.